Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds paid a poignant tribute to his friend and colleague Ray Chan, a longtime Marvel film production designer who sadly passed away near his home in Wales on April 23.
He was 56.
Chan began creating lived-in worlds of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), starting as a supervising art director for Thor: The Dark World, and continuing as a supervising art director for other MCU films like Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Doctor Strange, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, and Spider-Man: Far From Home.
His credits as a production designer included The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and the upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine starring Reynolds and Hugh Jackman.
Reynolds shared his grief on social media on April 26 following the sad loss of the venerated British art director and production designer.
"Words are pretty inadequate in comparison to this loss," wrote Reynolds on his socials, accompanied by a photo of Chan.
He continued:
"There's an incomparable reservoir of skill, tender grit and talent no longer with us."
"As Production Designer, he was as important a creative force on Deadpool & Wolverine as the writers, director and stars."
Reynolds highlighted Chan's unique talent and described his impact on moviegoers.
"I don't pretend to know every chapter of Ray's heart, but I know it's unusual to encounter someone with that level of artistry, who simultaneously moved through the world with such an indelible humanity," he said.
"He built entire worlds from scratch - and did so in the most collaborative and inclusive ways."
"Ray was peerless. And just awesome to be around. He'll be missed by everyone—but especially, by the people inhabiting his most important world: his family."
"The last time I saw Ray was exactly two weeks ago. One of last things I said to him was that he makes magic and there's nobody on earth like him."
Reynolds mentioned the rapport he shared with Chan to summarize how he will remember him.
"Generally, he and I gave each other a lot of good natured sh*t. So... of all the final things you could say to someone you adore, that's a little scrap of consolation I'll hang onto forever."
Fans and industry peers joined Reynolds in paying tribute to Chan.
@VancityReynolds Rest in Peace Ray \ud83e\udd0d— (@)
The cause of death has not been released at this time.
Chan is survived by his wife, architect Lindsay Gibbon, and their children Caspar and Sebastian.
Deadpool & Wolverine, the 34th film in the MCU and the third sequel to the Deadpool films, will be released in theaters on July 26, 2024.