I think people will be very surprised how quickly successionism becomes a mainstream ideology, if not socially acceptable. It will happen about as soon as everyone realizes AGI is actually a thing that will happen.
We must obviously do our best to resist this in all of its forms, including the zoo-of-loving-grace, including a "worthy successor", and including any plan that doesn't factor in human empowerment and uplift. Anything less is giving up on us as a species, and call me a romantic, but that doesn't seem very honorable - or very interesting.