In a tragic incident that occurred in the vicinity of his residence in Wales last week, Raymond Chan, the artistic director behind Marvel Studios’ productions such as “Deadpool and Wolverine” and “The Avengers” series, passed away unexpectedly at the age of 56. Both Ryan Reynolds of “Deadpool” and Hugh Jackman of “Wolverine” expressed their condolences towards the loss of Chan.
According to a statement released by Marvel Studios on the 26th, Raymond Chan, the art director of the production design department at Marvel, passed away on Tuesday last week (23rd). His film credits include “Guardians of the Galaxy”, “Doctor Strange”, “Avengers: Endgame”, and the upcoming “Deadpool and Wolverine” film. He was a highly respected Hollywood artist. Many who had worked with Raymond in the past expressed their condolences on social media.
Raymond Chan was born in 1967 in Oldham, Greater Manchester, to Hong Kong immigrant parents. He studied graphic design at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) before obtaining a master’s degree and moving to Hollywood. After working in the entertainment industry for twenty years, he transitioned to become the artistic director and production designer of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Starting from 2013 with “Thor: The Dark World”, Raymond made significant contributions to Marvel, also working on films like Spider-Man and Ant-Man. At the time of his passing, Ryan Reynolds, who portrays “Deadpool”, and Hugh Jackman, who portrays “Wolverine”, were collaborating with him on the upcoming film “Deadpool and Wolverine”.
On the 27th, actor Reynolds posted a photo of Raymond on X
(Click here to view the photo)
accompanied by a heartfelt message, “The loss of Raymond is indescribable. His unparalleled skills, gentle courage, and talent are irreplaceable. As the production designer for ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’, he, along with the writers, directors, and lead actors, was a crucial creative source for the film.”
“I may not understand every aspect of Raymond’s journey, but I know encountering someone of such exceptional artistic caliber is rare, especially someone who traversed the world with such enduring kindness. He built entire worlds from scratch and did so in the most collaborative and inclusive manner. Raymond was unmatched. Those around him felt his greatness, everyone misses him, especially the most important people in his world: his family.”
Reynolds reminisced about the time spent with Raymond recently, “The last time I saw Raymond was exactly two weeks ago. The last words I said to him were that he worked miracles and no one else in the world could compare to him. Generally, we exchange many kind words, so… the last words to someone you admire are forever comforting.”
Actor Jackman, in his Instagram Stories, expressed sorrow upon hearing about Raymond’s passing, “Every day on set, I marveled at what he created, he worked miracles. His gaze, that of someone passionate about his craft, I was fortunate to work with one of the best in the industry.”
Jackman mentioned spending time with Raymond just two weeks prior and was grateful to be involved in the films he produced, “It’s time to let him complete the work he loved so deeply. He told a great story, and I’m honored to be a part of it. My heartfelt condolences go out to Raymond’s family and friends.”
Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige and Co-President Louis D’Esposito also released a joint statement on behalf of Marvel Studios, “He was an amazing person to work with, incredibly generous, the kind of person who could turn the seed of an idea into something beautiful. His passing has left us devastated; everyone at Marvel will miss him. Our deepest condolences go out to his family and friends.”