Detective Eric Matthews is a fictional character from the Saw franchise. Portrayed by Donnie Wahlberg, he first appeared in a mockumentary entitled, Full Disclosure Report: Piecing Together Jigsaw, featured on the uncut version of the original film. He subsequently appeared as the main protagonist of Saw II (2005), and had a minor role in Saw III (2006), and again a major role in Saw IV (2007). Eric's final appearance was in the form of a photograph in Saw V (2008). Before the release of Saw III, it was stated that Wahlberg would not return as the character, but this turned out to be a hoax conceived by Lions Gate Entertainment to throw off fans of the series trying to dig up details on the film.