According to Shingo YAMASHIRO, Katsu was originally supposed to play the roles of Shingen TAKEDA and his body double, and his older brother Tomisaburo WAKAYAMA was to play the role of Shingen's younger brother Nobukado TAKEDA (the opposite of their true ages).
山城新伍が語った所によれば、当初は勝が武田信玄と影武者を、勝の実兄の若山富三郎が信玄の弟武田信廉役を演じる案があったという（実際の兄弟関係を逆転させた配役）。