:Ray Chan (art director)

{{Short description|British art director and production designer (1967–2024)}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Ray Chan

| image = Ray Chan (art director).png

| caption = Chan in Marvel Studios: Assembled, 2021

| birth_name = Raymond Chan

| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=y|1967|12|1}}

| birth_place = Oldham, Greater Manchester, England

| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=y|2024|4|23|1967|12|1}}

| death_place = Glamorgan, Wales

| alma_mater = Liverpool School of Art
Kingston School of Art

| occupation = {{Flatlist|

Art director
production designer

}}

| years_active = 1993–2024

| spouse = Lindsay Gibbon

| children = 2

| awards = ADG Excellence in Production Design Award (2015, 2020)

}}

Raymond Chan (1 December 1967 – 23 April 2024) was a British art director and production designer best known for his work on several films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) franchise.

Early life and education

Raymond Chan was born the oldest of three children to Hong Kong parents in Oldham on 1 December 1967. His mother was a machinist and his father was a bus driver.{{Cite web |last=Barnes |first=Mike |date=27 April 2024 |title=Ray Chan, Art Director and Production Designer for Marvel Films, Dies at 56 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/ray-chan-dead-marvel-art-director-deadpool-wolverine-1235882096/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240427193128/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/ray-chan-dead-marvel-art-director-deadpool-wolverine-1235882096/ |archive-date=27 April 2024 |access-date=27 April 2024 |website=The Hollywood Reporter}} He graduated from the Liverpool School of Art, with a degree in graphic design. Chan then went on to earn a Masters degree in Film and Television at Kingston School of Art.{{Cite magazine |last=Carson |first=Lexi |date=26 April 2024 |title=Ray Chan, 'Deadpool & Wolverine' and 'Avengers: Endgame' Art Director, Dies at 56 |url=https://variety.com/2024/film/obituaries-people-news/ray-chan-dead-marvel-deadpool-wolverine-avengers-1235983768/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240427034043/https://variety.com/2024/film/obituaries-people-news/ray-chan-dead-marvel-deadpool-wolverine-avengers-1235983768/ |archive-date=27 April 2024 |access-date=26 April 2024 |magazine=Variety}}

Career

Chan began his career in 1993 with The Secret Rapture.{{Cite web |last=Cole |first=Chris |date=25 April 2024 |title=The Rundown: April 25, 2024 |url=http://www.multiversitycomics.com/news/the-rundown-042524/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240425120017/http://www.multiversitycomics.com/news/the-rundown-042524/ |archive-date=25 April 2024 |access-date=25 April 2024 |website=Multiversity Comics}} He first joined Marvel Studios on Thor: The Dark World as a supervising art director. His credits as a supervising art director included Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Doctor Strange, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home. Chan's credits as a production designer included The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, and Deadpool & Wolverine.{{Cite web |last=Gonzalez |first=Umberto |date=24 April 2024 |title='Deadpool & Wolverine' Production Designer Ray Chan Dies |url=https://www.thewrap.com/deadpool-and-wolverine-production-designer-ray-chan-dies/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240425015500/https://www.thewrap.com/deadpool-and-wolverine-production-designer-ray-chan-dies/ |archive-date=25 April 2024 |access-date=25 April 2024 |website=TheWrap}} Chan's credits as art director also include King Arthur, Monte Carlo,{{Cite web |last=Reif |first=Alex |date=24 April 2024 |title=Marvel Studios Production Designer Ray Chan Passed Away |url=https://www.laughingplace.com/w/news/2024/04/24/marvel-studios-production-designer-ray-chan-passed-away/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240425015332/https://www.laughingplace.com/w/news/2024/04/24/marvel-studios-production-designer-ray-chan-passed-away/ |archive-date=25 April 2024 |access-date=25 April 2024 |website=LaughingPlace.com}} Nanny McPhee,{{Cite web |last=Tapp |first=Tom |date=26 April 2024 |title=Ray Chan Dies: 'Deadpool & Wolverine', 'Avengers: Endgame' Production Designer Was "Peerless", Says Ryan Reynolds |url=https://deadline.com/2024/04/ray-chan-dead-deadpool-avengers-production-designer-1235896370/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240426175849/https://deadline.com/2024/04/ray-chan-dead-deadpool-avengers-production-designer-1235896370/ |archive-date=26 April 2024 |access-date=27 April 2024 |website=Deadline Hollywood}} National Treasure, Blood Diamond, Knight and Day, Wrath of the Titans, Alien vs. Predator and Children of Men. He was featured on Marvel Studios: Assembled in 2021.{{Cite web |last=Bonomolo |first=Cameron |date=24 April 2024 |title=Ray Chan, Marvel Studios Art Director and Deadpool & Wolverine Production Designer, Has Died |url=https://comicbook.com/movies/news/ray-chan-dies-marvel-studios-art-director-deadpool-wolverine-production-designer/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240424184547/https://comicbook.com/movies/news/ray-chan-dies-marvel-studios-art-director-deadpool-wolverine-production-designer/ |archive-date=24 April 2024 |access-date=25 April 2024 |website=ComicBook.com}}

Nominated for it five times, Chan won the ADG Excellence in Production Design Award for his work on Guardians of the Galaxy in 2015 and for his work on Avengers: Endgame in 2020.{{Cite web |last=Fisher |first=Jacob |date=11 June 2022 |title=Raymond Chan Joins 'Deadpool 3' (Exclusive) |url=https://discussingfilm.net/2022/06/11/raymond-chan-joins-deadpool-3-exclusive/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220611210004/https://discussingfilm.net/2022/06/11/raymond-chan-joins-deadpool-3-exclusive/ |archive-date=11 June 2022 |access-date=11 June 2022 |website=Discussing Film}}

Personal life and death

Chan was married to Lindsay Gibbon, an architect, and had two children, Caspar and Sebastian.{{Cite web |last=Dick |first=Jeremy |date=24 April 2024 |title=Ray Chan, Frequent Marvel Studios Art Director, Has Passed Away |url=https://www.cbr.com/ray-chan-dead/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240425002030/https://www.cbr.com/ray-chan-dead/ |archive-date=25 April 2024 |access-date=25 April 2024 |website=Comic Book Resources}}

Chan died from an intracerebral hemorrhage near his home in Wales on 23 April 2024, at the age of 56.{{Cite web |date=24 April 2024 |title=Remembering Production Designer Ray Chan |url=https://www.marvel.com/articles/movies/remembering-supervising-art-director-ray-chan |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240425015427/https://www.marvel.com/articles/movies/remembering-supervising-art-director-ray-chan |archive-date=25 April 2024 |access-date=25 April 2024 |website=Marvel.com}}{{Cite web |date=24 April 2024 |title=The Ray Chan More Than Memories Tribute |url=https://raychan.muchloved.com/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240501164623/https://raychan.muchloved.com/ |access-date=5 May 2024 |archive-date=1 May 2024 |website=muchloved.com}} His final film, Deadpool & Wolverine, was released three months later and was dedicated in his memory.{{cite web |last1=Griffin |first1=Louise |title=Who was Raymond Chan? Deadpool & Wolverine tribute explained |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/scifi/deadpool-3-wolverine-tribute-raymond-chan-explained/ |website=RadioTimes.com |access-date=2025-03-03}}

At the 97th Academy Awards, there was a tribute to his name in the In Memoriam section.{{Cite web|url=https://aframe.oscars.org/news/in-memoriam|title=In Memoriam|work=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences|access-date=March 2, 2025}} Chan was also similarly remembered at the 78th British Academy Film Awards.

Filmography

class="wikitable"
Year ! Title ! Studio ! Notes
1993 \| The Secret Rapture \| Castle Hill Productions \| Art department assistant
1994–1996 \| Screen Two \| BBC \| Storyboard artist / set dresser
1995 \| Hackers \| MGM/UA Distribution Co. \| Junior draughtsman
1997 \| Robinson Crusoe \| Miramax Films / RHI Entertainment \| Assistant art director
1997–2000 \| The Hunger \| Showtime \| Assistant art director
1997 \| The Wings of the Dove \| Miramax Films \| Assistant art director
1999 \| The Lost Son \| Artisan Entertainment \| Art director
2000 \| Five Seconds to Spare \| ContentFilm International \| Art director
2001 \| Enigma \| Manhattan Pictures International \| Stand-by art airector
2002 \| Heartlands \| Miramax Films / DNA Films \| Art director
2003 \| Johnny English \| Universal Pictures / StudioCanal / Working Title Films \| Art director: second unit
rowspan="4" \| 2004 \| King Arthur \| Touchstone Pictures / Jerry Bruckheimer Films \| Supervising art director
Thunderbirds \| Universal Pictures / StudioCanal / Working Title Films \| Art director
Alien vs. Predator \| 20th Century Fox / Davis Entertainment / Brandywine Productions / Impact Pictures / Stillking Films \| Art director
National Treasure \| Walt Disney Pictures / Jerry Bruckheimer Films \| Supervising art director; uncredited
rowspan="3" \| 2005 \| The Honeymooners \| Paramount Pictures \| Draughtsperson
Stoned \| Screen Media Films \| Art director
Nanny McPhee \| Universal Pictures / Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures / Working Title Films \| Art director; uncredited
rowspan="3" \| 2006 \| Flyboys \| MGM Distribution Co. / Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures / Electric Entertainment / Skydance Productions / Ingenious Media \| Supervising art director
Blood Diamond \| Warner Bros. Pictures \| Supervising art director
Children of Men \| Universal Pictures \| Art director
rowspan="2" \| 2008 \| Fool's Gold \| Warner Bros. Pictures \| Supervising art director
How to Lose Friends & Alienate People \| Paramount Pictures \| Supervising art director
rowspan="2" \| 2010 \| Robin Hood \| Universal Pictures \| Senior art director
Knight and Day \| 20th Century Fox / Regency Enterprises / Dune Entertainment \| rowspan="8" \| Supervising art director
2011 \| Monte Carlo \| 20th Century Fox / Fox 2000 Pictures / Regency Enterprises
2012 \| Wrath of the Titans \| Warner Bros. Pictures / Legendary Pictures
2013 \| Thor: The Dark World \| rowspan="9" \| Marvel Studios
2014 \| Guardians of the Galaxy
2015 \| Avengers: Age of Ultron
2016 \| Doctor Strange
2018 \| Avengers: Infinity War
rowspan="2" \| 2019 \| Avengers: Endgame \| Supervising art director / production designer; additional photography
Spider-Man: Far From Home \| Supervising art director
2021 \| The Falcon and the Winter Soldier \| Production designer
rowspan="2" \| 2023 \| Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania \| Production designer; additional photography
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves \| Paramount Pictures / Hasbro / Entertainment One \| Production designer
2024 \| Deadpool & Wolverine \| Marvel Studios / Maximum Effort / 21 Laps Entertainment \| Production designer; posthumous release

class="wikitable"

Year

! Title

! Studio

! Notes

1993

| The Secret Rapture

| Castle Hill Productions

| Art department assistant

1994–1996

| Screen Two

| BBC