British art director and production designer Ray Chan passed away on April 23, 2024. Chan was born Dec. 1, 1967, in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England, meaning he was just 56.
He had a long career in the film and television industry that began in the early 1990s, but his most notable work came on several Marvel Cinematic Universe projects. Chan was the supervising art director on Thor: The Dark World (2013), Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Doctor Strange (2016), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019), and Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), and the production designer on the aforementioned Avengers: Endgame, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021), Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2022), and Deadpool & Wolverine (2024).
Other noteworthy films and television shows he worked on include Hackers (1995), The Hunger (1997-2000), Johnny English (2003), King Arthur (2004), Thunderbirds (2004), Alien vs. Predator (2004), National Treasure (2004), Nanny McPhee (2005), Blood Diamond (2006), Children of Men (2006), Robin Hood (2010), Knight and Day (2010), Wrath of the Titans (2012), and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023).
That’s an impressive career, and Chan’s passing leaves a massive hole in the entertainment world. But how did he die?
How did Ray Chan die?
As confirmed by the Stroke Association on X, Ray Chan died from a hemorrhagic stroke. That means a blood vessel in his brain ruptured and bled, disrupting the usual circulation of blood in the area and starving some areas of oxygen.
Deadpool & Wolverine star Ryan Reynolds led the tributes to Chan. Reynolds wrote on X, “RIP Ray Chan. Words are pretty inadequate in comparison to this loss. 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.”
Chan is survived by his wife, Lindsay Gibbon, an architect, and their two children, Caspar and Sebastian.
May he rest in eternal peace.