AceShowbiz - A group of "Mission: Impossible" crew members have defended Tom Cruise's leaked outburst about ignored COVID protocols on set, insisting he has every right to get upset.

The movie star was caught on tape raging about health and safety breaches and his comments were posted online by The Sun editors, leading to a backlash from some and talk of crew members quitting.

But now some of his colleagues are coming to his defence.

A source from the U.K. production behind the seventh instalment of the film series tells People magazine, "It's hard to [describe] how incredibly intense and focused he is on making every movie the absolute best possible. The 'Mission: Impossible' movies are very special to him. They are 'his' movies."

"Tom helped set up the COVID protocol. Of course, he takes it personally when the protocol is broken. In all the years of filming the 'Mission: Impossible' franchise, no one has ever even heard Tom raise his voice. He is usually just laser-focused on filming. This movie is very different though. He has to film while making sure everyone stays safe."

Another set source adds, "Tom's whole life is his work. He feels the pressure of how scary things look now. He does not want any further disruption. There is a lot at stake. When he sees something less than professional, he wants to make it right."

In his leaked rant, Cruise threatened to fire "Mission: Impossible VII" crew members if he saw them ignoring the guidelines put in place to protect everyone on set from COVID.