Here's why the Ancient One was initially hesitant to train Stephen Strange in Doctor Strange despite already knowing he will be her successor. Introduced in 2016, the New York-based world-renowned surgeon Dr. Stephen Strange got into an accident that injured his hands beyond repair. This forced Strange to look outside of the box as he searched for a way to heal them so he can return to his profession.

Strange followed a tip to Kamar-Taj where he encountered the Masters of the Mystic Arts led by the Ancient One. From the get-go, there was an immediate conflict between the pair, but they eventually got past that, setting-up Strange to be the next Sorcerer Supreme. Years after the Ancient One's death, Marvel Studios brought her back in Avengers: Endgame via the time heist which allowed the remaining heroes to travel back in time to collect the Infinity Stones. Since she was the wielder of the Time Stone before Doctor Strange acquired it, this resulted in an encounter with the Smart Hulk. While she was adamant not to loan the Eye of Agamotto, once the Ancient One learned that her contemporary willingly gave it away, it effectively changed her mind, explaining that Strange is meant to be the best of the sorcerers.

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As established in both Doctor Strange and Avengers: Infinity War, the wielder of the Time Stone is able to manipulate time. It allows them to rewind the past and peek through the future. This was how Strange knew exactly how the Avengers would defeat Thanos and the Ancient One having the knowledge of the destiny that lies ahead for her successor. Given this, it's interesting why she was even skeptical of taking Strange in when he first arrived in Kamar-Taj. Had it not been for Mordo's appeal, the future Sorcerer Supreme may have given up altogether, drastically changing his and the rest of the MCU's future. This might sound like inconsistent storytelling, especially since Endgame retroactively established the Ancient One's involvement in the Battle of New York, but this isn't the case. Her refusal to take Strange initially was already part of his training. The Ancient One had to make sure he was committed to learning the mystic arts and not only use it to physically heal his hands.

Tilda Swinton as The Ancient One pushing Doctor Strange

This move makes sense after Kaecilius was disillusioned and turned against her. Knowing the potential that Strange has, they couldn't risk teaching her the secrets of the mystic arts only for him to use it for selfish reasons; it was a clever way to ensure that he's committed to the training. Before unceremoniously kicking him out of Kamar-Taj, she gave him a small taste of what she can do by pushing his astral form from his physical body. From there, The Ancient One sent him on a trip through various dimensions which may have disoriented Strange but effectively proved to him that the mystic arts is real, and mastering it has benefits bigger than just healing his hands. With his interest piqued, Strange was now intrigued more than ever. Granted that this didn't fully convince him to give up on his wants to regain his steady hands, it was more than enough for him to openly seek knowledge regarding sorcery — both its benefits and dangers.

Overall, the Ancient One's initial refusal to train Strange was a calculated move to better ensure not just the future of the Masters of the Mystic Arts but also MCU's next Sorcerer Supreme. She knew that the responsibility is immense and it requires full dedication especially since it's such an important responsibility to keep Earth safe from inter-dimensional threats. Considering what's Strange's has done in Doctor Strange and Infinity War thus far, it's safe to assume that the Ancient One got herself an effective successor.

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