NEW YORK - "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" shrugged off lousy reviews to debut with an estimated $170.1 million in North America, the sixth best weekend opening.

The stakes were high for the Warner Bros. superhero showdown, which cost $250 million to make and nearly as much to market. But the studio's bid to kick start a DC Comics universe to rival Marvel's empire fought against skepticism over Ben Affleck's casting as Batman and a barrage of bad reviews earlier in the week.

Audiences gave the film a mediocre B CinemaScore, which suggested many moviegoers agreed with critics. But the allure of seeing two of the most iconic superheroes battle was enough to set a new record for the best pre-summer debut.